One of the most annoying things about a monitor is the “no signal” input message, or the monitor isn’t turning on.
A no signal message can be caused by many things, it can be a hardware issue, a monitor issue, or faulty components.
Luckily, we can help you with 9 easy ways to fix a no signal message. The best way to come to a conclusion is through trial and error so you can accurately pinpoint the issue.
1. Check The Monitor
First we need to ensure that the monitor is working, this means checking if it’s on, and you’re receiving an “on light”.
If there’s no on light, check if the monitor is receiving power, and that the power cables are plugged in correctly.
If your monitor is still not receiving power, then there may be an issue with the socket or the monitor’s cable.
Check if the monitor works in a different socket around the house, if it doesn’t work, then there may be an issue with the cable.
Check if the monitor’s cable can be easily replaced by a spare cable you have laying around, if not, you should be able to purchase a replacement online.
If the new cable does not fix the issue then there’s likely an issue with the motherboard, and it will need to be replaced.
2. Check The HDMI Connection
Ensure that the HDMI connection between the motherboard and the monitor is secure, do this by making sure that the HDMI cable is inserted correctly on both ends.
If the HDMI cable is inserted correctly on both ends, and you still receive the no signal issue, then try replacing the HDMI cable with a spare and confirmed working one.
If that cable does not work, ensure that the HDMI port on the monitor and on the motherboard are free of any dirt and debris, you can use a Q-tip to clean it.
If that doesn’t work, then the issue is most likely hardware related, either something is broken, or not working correctly.
3. Integrated Graphics Disabled In Motherboard BIOS
First and foremost, ensure that your processor has integrated graphics, this is because the HDMI port on the motherboard has headers specifically for the integrated graphics on your processor.
Once you’ve confirmed that your processor has integrated graphics, and you’re still not getting a signal, then you need to head over to the BIOS to check if it’s enabled
To enter the BIOS, you need to restart the PC, and press F1, F2, F8, F12, Escape, and Delete to activate the BIOS interface.
Once you’ve entered the BIOS, depending on the motherboard, the integrated graphics settings should be in the “Advanced Tab”.
Navigate to the advanced tab, and look for “on-board graphics” or “integrated graphics”, and ensure that the setting is enabled. From here, make sure the HDMI cable is inserted into the motherboard and restart the PC.
Now you should have a signal if you followed the steps correctly, if you still do not have a signal, then the issue is likely software related.
4. No Integrated Graphics At All
The HDMI port on the motherboard is specifically there for the integrated graphics, so if you don’t have integrated graphics, the HDMI port on the motherboard won’t work.
Ensure your CPU has integrated graphics by understanding the suffix at the end of your processor.
If you have an Intel based processor, then most of them come with integrated graphics except for the processors with the ‘F’ suffix such as the I7 12700KF.
If you have an AMD Ryzen processor, then most of the processors won’t come with integrated graphics except for a few APUs such as the Ryzen 5 5600G. The ‘G’ suffix signifies that it comes with integrated graphics.
If you’ve built a PC, and are wondering why you have no signal, it’s common for beginner builders to insert the HDMI cable into their motherboard, and this can be causing the problem.
Ensure that you have a dedicated GPU, and that you plug the HDMI cable into your dedicated GPU if your CPU does not come with integrated graphics.
5. Hardware Failure
It’s entirely possible that your motherboard is faulty causing your system to not display an output, this could be that the HDMI port is broken.
If the HDMI port is broken, and you don’t have the tools and skills to repair the port, then you should check for reputable repair shops nearby.
This is because repairing HDMI ports is notoriously hard, and it’s not recommended for a beginner to attempt to repair them.
Also, a faulty HDMI cable can be at fault, this is why we recommended swapping out the cable as this can quickly solve the issue as most of us have spare HDMI cables laying around.
Secondly, it could be that your computer doesn’t work at all, you may have faulty RAM which usually causes no signal.
Finally, check the power supply, and ensure that your computer is receiving power, it could be that your power supply is damaged or too weak.
6. Driver/Software Issues
Corrupted drivers or old drivers can cause a no signal error, so updating and refreshing your integrated graphics drivers may solve the issue.
The goal here is to update the drivers, to do this, you need to access device management, ensure you have administrator privileges on the computer.
- Press win+r simultaneously
- Enter “devmgmt.msc”
- Navigate to display adapters
- Right click your integrated graphics driver, and press properties
- Navigate to the driver tab and press update
- Then select “search automatically for drivers”
If this fails to work, then you will need to update or reinstall the drivers by downloading them straight from the manufacturer.
Since we’re talking about integrated graphics, you’ll likely need to install them from Intel or AMD.
You can find Intel’s drivers here: Intel Drivers.
And you can find AMD drivers here: AMD Drivers.
Fortunately, black screens or no signal issues aren’t usually caused by computer viruses, it’s usually a case of hardware failure or misconfigured software.
7. Multi-Monitor Issues
The no signal issue can be caused by your attempt to run multiple displays, in this case, some motherboards are unable to detect multiple displays.
Most PC display adapters are configured to run one display at a time, while this isn’t ideal, the only way to fix this is to set your integrated graphics as the primary display adapter.
This is because the motherboard will actually disable the integrated graphics once it detects a dedicated GPU, so if you’re trying to get an output from your motherboard, it won’t work due to it being disabled.
To set up this configuration, you’ll need to re-enable the integrated graphics, see section 3. Integrated Graphics Disabled In Motherboard BIOS.
After that, you’ll need to configure the “initial display output” to be the integrated graphics adapter instead of being PCI-E slot 1 for example.
8. Incorrect Boot Order
If you’ve just built a PC, it’s possible that the cause for your monitor’s black screen is due to your PC booting from the wrong drive.
When your PC searches for a drive but can’t find an operating system, it will not output a signal and show a black display on your monitor.
You will need to configure your PC to access the right drive with the operating system on it, this is usually done through the BIOS.
Restart your PC, then press F1, F2, F8, F12, Escape, and Delete to activate the BIOS interface.
Once in the BIOS interface, navigate to the BOOT ORDER section then make the necessary changes, then restart the computer.
9. Bad BIOS Configuration
A poorly configured BIOS will cause your monitor to display a black screen in many scenarios, this is why it’s important to be careful when inside the BIOS.
An example of your BIOS being poorly configured and causing a black screen is a bad overclock. If you’ve entered a high overclock and not supplemented enough voltage, it can cause this issue.
Luckily, restoring the BIOS can solve many of these issues, and it’s usually pretty simple to do.
- First enter the BIOS by performing F1, F2, F8, F12, Escape, and Delete after restarting the computer.
- After that, hitting F9 or F5 will usually open the “Load Default Options” section.
- A window should pop up asking you about loading the optimal default settings.
- Select yes, then restart the machine.
It’s also possible to reset the BIOS by removing the CMOS battery, always perform this whilst the PC is off for the best results.
The CMOS battery looks like a silver coin located on the right side of the motherboard, remove the battery and wait for at least 60 seconds.
Reinsert the battery, turn on the computer, and you should have factory BIOS settings.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a no signal/black screen error being displayed can either be caused by a faulty motherboard port, or faulty drivers.
Usually with trial and error, a no signal being displayed from your HDMI port on your motherboard can be solved.
